I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to effectively put into words the impact that my first trip to Israel had on my heart. The land. The history. The people. The experiences. All of which swirled together in my soul like a divine soup which I will sip from often from now until the Lord returns and reigns once again.

I fell in love with the Promised Land.

Every day was packed with adventure. From exploring the ruins of the pools of Bethesda to serving the young men and women in the military to praying in the Garden of Gethsemane – we did it all. And yet, as rich as our adventure was, we also left behind a lifetime of experiences yet to be had.

I hope to share just a few of them as time goes by, but for now, I will share just one. Since Israel is considered the Holy Land, there was a part of me that expected to feel closer to God on “His turf,” if that makes sense. After all, people make pilgrimages from all over the world just to visit Jerusalem – the City of David – the place where Jesus lived, died and rose again.

However, in the “holiest place on earth,” I wasn’t “feeling it.” In fact, if it is possible to be overwhelmed with underwhelm, that would better describe my state of mind. Yes, I was overcome with emotion; it just wasn’t the emotion I expected. So if I could only share one thing from the Holy Land, this 2-minute video would be it. It’s my honest, unedited first impression of the Western Wall, and I pray that it will encourage you. [Watch now]

Until next time, shalom. (I learned that in Israel!) 🙂